my arms were always around you
by Val-Creative
Summary: Bill's parents mistreat him until he grows sick. It's time for the rest of the Losers Club to unite once more against a very real evil.


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Beverly notices first. She knows how to lie, to her father and other adults, and Bill… Bill is just not that good of a liar.

Stanley notices when Bill's handwriting changes. His Z's have a crossed line like Zack Denbrough's Z's. Dots in the A's and O's of Sharon Denbrough's name scrawled and looping across Bill's graded papers when he's failing remedial English class.

Richie doesn't notice until two weeks afterwards, when Bill claims (_again_) to have no money for the arcade. Not even a quarter to spare. "We need the m-money we got for Mom's grocery w-w-week," Bill mumbles, apologizing and turning down Richie's offer for a few extra coins. Just so they can play together. It's not like he's asking to give Bill a whole piggy bank or something.

Eddie does notice something amiss as Bill refuses to leave his house, and disappoints everyone heading to Derry Day's Faire. He needs to do laundry. But it's every other day—Eddie doesn't know _anyone else_ who does that besides himself and his mother.

Ben notices that Bill's arms and face seem smaller as the months pass. Skinnier. His cheeks thinning, hollowing.

Mike, oh yeah, Mike notices when Bill loses his temper frequently over his stuttering. Cursing like Richie or Eddie. Punching a barn-wall and yelling out in aggravation. He ends up swaying and collapsing into the hay, gulping for air, clenching a hand over Mike's forearm when the other boy shushes him, thumbing the side of Bill's face, dragging a line of moisture out of existence.

Bill notices—and ignores the neglect and abuse from his parents. He cries himself to sleep, over hunger pains, over Georgie. Over how lonely he feels standing in a crowded school-hallway, being unable to scream out the dark, ugly feelings inside him.

He can't tell his friends. It wouldn't be _fair_ to make them worry. Bill's already made their lives more difficult since Pennywise.

_"Bill!"_

Multiple footsteps stomp up to his room.

"Bill! Bill, hey!" Eddie bursts in, followed by Ben and Richie. They glimpse Bill hunched over himself to the floor, hands planted over his skull and crying weakly. "_Bill_," Eddie says, shocked. Richie grabs onto one of Bill's arms, as Ben grabs the other. He barely weighs like anything.

They march him downstairs, where Beverly and Mike and Stanley glare at Mr. and Mrs. Denbrough.

"How could you," Beverly exclaims. "_How could you_ treat Bill like this!? He's your son! He's the _only one_ you have left!"

Bill's mother scoffs at the accusations, pacing. His father, vacant, sitting on the piano-bench.

"I won't have you raise your voice at me, you little hussy—"

"_DON'T TALK TO HER LIKE THAT_!" Ben and Richie yell at separate times, but no less forceful, draining the color out of Mrs. Denbrough's cheeks.

There's nothing more to say. There's never been anything Bill's parents could do for Bill that wasn't selfish or unkind. It's time to stop blaming a curse in Derry, they all agree. Mike and Ben and Richie lead Bill out of the house.

They reach the street of West Broadway when Bill's crying renews in strength.

"M'sorry… m'srry…" he whimpers. Stanley's eyes dampen, as well as Beverly's and Eddie's. "_Mm'rry_…"

"It'll be okay now, Bill," Ben reassures him. The rest of the Losers Club echoes him, moving in to kiss the top of Bill's head.

"Yeah, Bill…"

"_Yeah_…"

"We promise…"

"_You'll be okay this time_…"

"Love you, Bill…"

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_IT (2019) isn't mine. Requested by the_angry_pixie (AO3): "the losers in a pre-poly-relationship as kids, just post-Pennywise). They notice how neglectful Bill's parents have become. They rescue him and confront his parents about it. A Bill-breakdown and subsequent heaping of love and hugs and kisses would be even better." I did what I could for this and I hope it worked out! Bill needs so much love! And hey yes any thoughts/comments would be incredibly appreciated!  
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_((Want a request for IT? I'm doing 100-1000 word fics of any friendship or romantic ship + any prompt until I feel like quitting. Rules: you need to comment here and provide a friendship or romantic ship and prompt. You need to also specify if you want SFW or NSFW (for 18+ readers only). The only requests I'll be looking at is if you ALSO commented about the fic you just read as well. It's only fair. You came to this fic to read it and me doing something for you later on is a sweet bonus!))_

_((Do not ask for Reader/Character, OCs, Bowers Gang-centric or ship, Pennywise-centric or ship or underage. All characters for NSFW will be depicted as 18+ only.))_


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